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w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02
Issue 03March 2011
EXCLUSIVELY TO SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS
A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter
What customers fancy from Operators’ Services
Exclusive Interview
Walid Irshaid
CEO
PTCL
President &
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EDITORIAL
1SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Cross ConnectA recent new development with the announcement of
AT&T's planned acquisition of T-Mobile, a strategic asset of
Deutsche Telekom, which has already received approval by
both of their respective boards. While the news is exciting
for many, it still has huge hurdles to climb with regard to
gaining clearance from the US Department of Justice
(ensuring no violation of US antitrust laws and others) as
well as from the FCC. A clever bid for about 33 million
subscribers, as per latest news release, would increase the
total subscriber size to around 120 million subscribers for
the new AT&T. This would put the US carrier first in its
domestic market place in number of subscribers, while
Verizon would fall to second, having been in the first
position for some time, since the latest acquisition of its
own. This acquisition would leave predominantly three
large national mobile carriers operating in the 300 million
plus size US market.
What this brings may be quite interesting, depending upon
how things work out. What is intriguing is the merged
carrier 3G networks are not currently capable of using
similar handsets. At least not yet, due to the different
frequencies which each carrier currently operate their
ownso-called 3G networks. AT&T has a plan to construct a
much faster mobile broadband network than it currently
does, which is using an extended version of HSDPA. The
latest numbers on the new CAPEX investment is around
eight billion US dollars and is predominantly going to be
spent on covering rural areas, as well as roaming
capabilities. There is hope that the business and
governmental environment may support such investment
for it must return positive equity to its investors or why
would they invest in the upgrade?
This act of consolidation may have considerable lessons for
which others can watch and learn from. Is there true
synergistic value in the pairing of the second and fourth
largest operators in the US. Is spectrum the core
component of the merger? Will the networks merge their
pricing plans without harming existing post paid
customers? Will the networks actually be able to share and
bring aboard new higher revenue smart phones, which
currently can't operate on both networks as of yet? Will the
access to both fixed and mobile broadband at higher
speeds increase? T-mobile subscribers do potentially and
possibly gain the iPhone but this is chiefly by having to
switch to a probably proposed new rate plan from the old
AT&T for them to move to the Apple program. Bandwidth
caps and throttle down bandwidth is currently already in
practice by each carrier respectively, however some sort of
continuity of pricing, marketing, handsets, development on
the 4G future networks and other very important activities
will be quite complex.
Carriers such as Etisalat Group, STC Group, Orange, Batelco
Group, Orascom, MTN Group and others in the SAMENA
region who already or will have similar statistics in
subscribers are all facing some of the same issues. Where
does conformity to standards across borders come to play
and how far will consolidation go. The issues are actually
quite different for the SAMENA region carriers as opposed
to those in North America or in other large population
developed markets, where there may be one single policy
maker / regulator across the board for the entire one
hundred twenty million plus subscribers. There is the good
side, where mobile operators such as Verizon and AT&T can
concentrate on one body such as the FCC, which is
responsible for regulations and policy (sometimes
stretching their understanding of what policy making and
policy enforcement actually mean and for what they are
authorized to enforce and etc.). However with one entity for
the most part such as the FCC making creating regulatory
framework and policies (within certain restrictions) such as
net neutrality recently, having only one policy maker /
regulator sort of forms an "all your eggs in one basket" sort
of situation, or as they say, an all or nothing proposition and
this for a population base of about 300 million people.
EDITORIAL
2
Truly Yours,
Thomas Wilson
CEO & Managing Director
SAMENA Telecommunications Council
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Unlike the situation in the US or even to a certain extent in
the EU, operators in the SAMENA, African and Asian
regions, who own and operate multiple operators across
multiple borders, must deal with the interests of multiple
facets, including in most cases, both the legislative
(Ministerial) institutions and the sometimes totally
independent and sometimes not so independent
regulatory bodies. The task itself is quite vexing for the
operators to manage, let alone with different policy makers
and regulators in each country market where an operation is
located. This causes an extended need for the operators
across the region, for an understanding with a certain dose
of continuity and yet flexibility for each market's special
conditions. SAMENA and its member operators are working
hard to work with each market's stakeholders to bring the
very best out of each situation for all stakeholders. This
includes the socio economic dividends from the
investments that the industry makes on a continual basis,
where the consumers, policy makers, regulators and service
providers all work to affect positive development and
growth in the market specifically tailored to the needs and
requirements of each specific region.
This environment calls for the operators to constantly
review where to consolidate internally and how to capture
greater value for its invested assets (monetary, human
resources, infrastructure(s), customers and much more)
across the spectrum of countries where the operators lie,
along while having to manage dealing with a constant new
flow of policies and potential regulation with regard to
convergence, net neutrality, content stress on the network,
unbundling, shared infrastructure and many other
important issues. This is in addition to handling the stress on
investment return and the need for the development of
multiple positive investment friendly infrastructure policy
environments. All stakeholders have a very important role in
the market place, where dialogue, creative new business
models and ideas, along with and positive interplay
between all vested partners is absolutely a must.
These times are different. The market has changed. The
actual platform of choice has changed, where the internet is
the new method of communication, where traditional voice
percentage of total message traffic is declining in ratio to
data message traffic, where smart phones that have the
best social network interfaces tend to outsell all others as
far as growth in the market, where fiber and high speed
wireless transmission help in assisting in determining the
revenues of an operator rather than the number of switch
ports, where e and m mean the connotation of electronic
(digital) and mobile to (E)health, (M)payments, (E)inclusion
and many other means of value add proposition rather than
the old legacy meaning of ear and mouth (E&M). These are
different times, yet we are certain the future will ring loud
and clear with vibrancy not yet experienced in earlier times.
The adopted saying of "change is opportunity and the ICT
industry is always changing" may apply here most
assuredly.
CONTENTSEDITORIAL1
NEWS4Top Regional & Member News
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW9Operator Leader’s Vision
REGULATORY16Regulatory News
A Snapshot of Regulatory Activities
in SAMENA Region
REGIONAL PERFORMANCE15SAMENA Region Broadband Penetration
SAMENA Region Broadband Subscribers
Editor in Chief
Thomas Wilson
Managing Editor
Bocar BA
Contributing Editors
Christine Beylouni
Javed Malik
Zakir Syed
Members Contributors
Publisher
SAMENA Telecommunications Council
Subscriptions
subscriptions@samenacouncil.org
Advertizing
ads@samenacouncil.org
Booz & Co.
Accenture
3
SAMENA TRENDS® newsletter is wholly owned and operated
by SAMENA Telecommunications Council FZ, LLC (SAMENA).
Information in the newsletter is not intended as professional
services advice, and SAMENA disclaims any liability for use of
specific information or results thereof. Articles and information
contained in this publication are the copyright of SAMENA
Telecommunications Council, (unless otherwise noted,
described or stated) and cannot be reproduced, copied or
printed in any form without the express written permission of
the publisher.
SAMENA does not necessarily endorse, support, sanction,
encourage, verify or agree with the content, comments,
opinions or statements made in SAMENA TRENDS by any entity
or entities. Information, products and services offered, sold or
placed in the newsletter by other than SAMENA belong to the
respective entity or entities and are not representative of
SAMENA. SAMENA hereby expressly disclaims any and all
warranties, expressed and implied, including but not limited to
any warranties of accuracy, reliability, merchantability or fitness
for a particular purpose by any entity or entities offering
information, products and services in this newsletter. The user
agrees that SAMENA is not responsible, and shall have no
liability to such user, with respect to any information, product or
service offered by any entity or entities in this newsletter.
SAMENA 's only liability in the event of errors shall be the
correction or removal of the erroneous information after
verification.
For any legal issues or concerns,
e-mail: legal@samenacouncil.org
Or Contact SAMENA at: SAMENA TRENDS
Tel: +971.4.364.2700
Alfa Building-Rm. 304, Knowledge Village
PO Box: 502544, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Copyright © 2011, - All rights reserved. SAMENA TRANDS is a registered trademark of SAMENA Telecommunications Council.
EDITORIAL
SATELLITE31Satellite News
SATELLITE
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02
Issue 03March 2011
EXCLUSIVELY TO SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS
A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter
What customers fancy from Operators’ Services
Exclusive Interview
Walid Irshaid
CEO
PTCL
President &
TECHNOLOGY22
Top Technology Updates
Operators Approach Towards
Customer Demands
The Rise of Service-based Competition
The Increasing Value of Technology That Works
34 SAMENA Activities
Broadband Summit 2011
Beyond Connectivity 2011
ROAMING 32Roaming News
4
NEWS
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Algerie Telecom to Roll out Fiber
Optics in TebessaAlgerie Telecom has announced plans to develop 228
kilometers of fiber-optic cables near Tebessa. The new
cables will be deployed as follows: 90km between Tebessa
and Ouenza, 78km between Cheria and Bir El Ater, 30km
between Cheria and Hammamet and 30km between
Ouenza and El Aouinet. This would mean that around 50
percent of homes in Tebessa would have access to fiber-
optics. It is expected that following the project’s completion,
the total length of fiber-optics in Tebessa will reach 446km.
TOP REGIONAL & MEMBER NEWS
Microsoft to launch Lync in QatarMicrosoft Qatar announced that it will organize an exclusive
event in Doha to launch Microsoft Lync, the next generation
of unified communications solution from Microsoft.
Organized in partnership with Jabra and Polycom, the event
will give businesses in Qatar an exclusive opportunity to
learn more about how Microsoft Lync can meet their needs
for real-time collaboration and give them access to an
integrated solution that enable users to communicate from
anywhere in a cost-effective and secure manner. Microsoft
Lync connects users in new ways, regardless of their physical
location providing a fresh, intuitive user experience.
5
NEWSTop Regional & Member News
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
PTCL EVO WiFi: Share Internet with
Others
Tetra Communications to Distribute
Thuraya’s Broadband and Voice
Solutions in Europe
Alcatel-Lucent and SWU TeleNet
Assist Rural Connectivity in
Germany
Introducing yet another first of its kind in Pakistan; PTCL’s
EVO WiFi cloud is a mobile hotspot that intelligently
converts home/work space into a personalized WiFi zone
and is sure to revolutionize the way internet is used in the
country. It is a similar to old EVO device, but it can broadcast
internet over WiFi protocol with a range of 30-40 feet.
Currently, this product is offered in Islamabad, Rawalpindi,
Lahore and Karachi. The devices would however be
functional at EVO 3G speeds throughout the 106 cities
currently covered by the EVO 3G wireless broadband
network.
Thuraya has announced the signing of a key distribution
agreement with European telecommunications specialists,
Tetra Communications. Under this agreement, Tetra
Communications will market Thuraya’s voice and
broadband data services in Greece and surrounding NATO
countries.
“Our consumers in the Government and Military sectors
face mission-critical decisions every day. They demand
communication solutions that are mobile, secure, reliable
and robust. Through our partnership with Tetra
Communications, Thuraya is well-positioned to meet their
needs with leading-edge products like the world’s most
rugged handset, Thuraya XT and the smallest data terminal
Thuraya IP,” said Thuraya’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Samer
Halawi.
Mr. George Strouzakis Executive Vice President from Tetra
Communications added, “Thuraya’s portfolio of data and
voice products will uniquely attract a lot of market attention
due to their superior design and functionality.”
Thuraya’s superior technology enables a congestion-free
satellite network covering 140 countries across strategic
geographies in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and
Australia, to support these industry-leading products.
Alcatel-Lucent and SWU TeleNet assist rural connectivity in
Germany. As part of their plans they will provide 50 mbps
broadband for residents and businesses in 14 districts of
rural Ulm region in Germany. It will connect 12,000
households by the end of 2013 by using a blend of copper
and fiber-based access technologies. In many cities across
Germany, broadband providers are strongly competing for
customers. Due to the low ROI, rural areas have generally
been excluded from high-speed broadband access. SWU
TeleNet is now tackling this situation in the Ulm region,
closely cooperating with its mother company SWU,
telephony service provider G-FIT and solutions provider
Alcatel-Lucent.
STC and Saudi Arabian Airlines launched the Central
Reservations service for its Tamayouz customers as part of
the 24 hours Concierge service. By the new service
Tamayouz customers enjoy monthly discounts and
exclusive special offers, making reservations at family
entertainment centers, obtaining movie and theatre tickets,
arranging attendance at fashions shows and access to first
class passenger lounges at some airports. The Tamayouz
program is designed specifically for STC VIP customers.
Friendi Mobile, an MVNO in Oman, launched 3G services.
The service, which is called Friendi Mobile Internet, is the
first 3G package in Oman to offer monthly pay-as-you-go
payment terms. Customers will pay OR9.9 ($25.7) per
month for the "all-you-can-eat" data package, subject to a
fair usage policy, according to CEO of Friendi Mobile. He
also confirmed that Friendi's 3G customers have the option
of buying dongles, allowing them to access the mobile
broadband service on their PCs.
Etisalat has announced a strategic collaboration with
NoteVault, to jointly offer Construction Site Management
Solutions in the UAE. The unique Construction Site
Management solution, jointly offered with NoteVault, fills a
huge void in the construction industry by enabling field
workers to easily report project activity directly from their
mobile phone. Project Managers can simply speak their
daily notes into their mobile, which gets generated in a
project report, available through email or a web-based
interface.
STC has announced that SEA ME WE 4, is being upgraded
with leading-edge 40G technology in order to meet the
international bandwidth requirements of STC and the other
consortium members. By upgrading from 10 Gbps to 40
Gbps, the resulting significant increase in international
STC Launches Central Reservations
Service for Tamayouz Customers
Friendi Launches 3G Service in
Oman
Etisalat Launches Construction Site
M a n a g e m e n t S o l u t i o n i n
Collaboration with NoteVault
STC Announces an Industry First:
40G Per Wavelength Upgrade for
SEA-ME-WE 4
6
NEWSTop Regional & Member News
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
capacity will help to meet the growing demand for internet
and other data services in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and
European regions.
Sky-Stream has launched a satellite IPTV streaming service
over the iDirect platform. Sky-Stream's IPTV service
provides on-demand, high-quality streaming for movies as
well as news and sports shows offered through Apple TV.
The new offering is an expansion of Sky-Stream's standard
Voice over IP (VoIP) and Internet service that it provides to
military and civil defense customers in Iraq, Afghanistan and
parts of Africa.
SAMENA Telecommunications Council has announced that
Pak Telecom Mobile Ltd, operating in Pakistan under the
brand name Ufone has become the first cellular operator
from South Asia to join its membership of 80-plus
organizations. Ufone is a leading operator in one of the
SAMENA region’s most competitive markets and ranks
among the largest cellular networks in the country, with a
subscriber base that exceeds 20 million. Ufone’s CEO, Abdul
Aziz said, “Ufone is a believer in innovation to further equip
the consumer with the latest in technology. Ufone’s stride
towards being a leader in innovation has earned acclaim off
being among the region’s most innovative top players.
SAMENA gives a platform to inform and share real-time
exchange of ideas with other regions. Ufone finds
SAMENA’s direction and progression to be of much strategic
significance.”
Inmarsat, a global mobile satellite communications services,
was awarded the Digital Studio Industry Leadership Award
for 'Satellite Services/Provider of the Year'. The ceremony
was held at the Al Multaqa Ballroom, Dubai World Trade
Centre, and attended by the region's leading professionals
in the broadcast, TV and film production and post
production industries from the Middle East and Africa. In its
seventh year, the Digital Studio Industry Leadership Awards
acknowledges the efforts of individuals and companies that
have contributed to the growth of the broadcast and
production industry in the region. "We are truly honoured to
receive this award and remain committed to offering our
premium services to professionals and organizations in the
broadcast industry," said Helene Bazzi, Senior Area
Manager Middle East and Africa, Inmarsat.
Sky-Stream Launches New IPTV
Streaming Service Based on
iDirect's VSAT Platform
Ufone Becomes SAMENA’s First
Cellco Member from South Asia
Inmarsat Wins Digital Studio
'Satellite Services/Provider of the
Year' Award
SAMENA’s Public Relations partner,
TRACCS, has been named Middle
East Consultancy of the Year 2011
Omantel's 2010 Revenue up 9.8
Percent
Orange Jordan Unveils New
ADSL2+ and 3G+ Packages
Qtel Offers Dawli bonus with Hala
SIM Packs
SAMENA’s Public Relations partner, TRACCS, has been
named Middle East Consultancy of the Year 2011 by the
Holmes Report, one of the world’s most influential reports
dedicated to the Public Relations industry globally. TRACCS
is one of the largest public relations networks in the Middle
East & North Africa with over 200 professionals covering 14
markets. According to the Holmes Report’s assessment, the
volume of business generated makes TRACCS the only
Middle Eastern firm to rank among the world’s top 100
independent public relations agencies.
Omantel posted a 9.8 percent increase in its revenue for
2010 to OMR 417 million. Net profit reached OMR 112
million for the year, and Omantel posted a 50 percent jump
in quarterly net profit to OMR 29 million. The subscriber
base grew 9.8 percent over the full year to 3.33 million.
Number of customers increase by 14.1 percent to 2.13
million. Oman Mobile network increased its base by 18.1
percent to a total 2.49 million at the end 2010. The company
has completed the installation of 795 3.5G stations across
the Sultanate.
Orange Jordan unveiled its new ADSL2+ and 3G+ package,
offering unprecedented broadband speeds of up to
20Mbps and 21Mbps respectively. The new ADSL2+ and
3G+ package will be made available to consumers in a
variety of highly affordable offers throughout the Kingdom.
Internet users in the Kingdom will be able to experience new
heights in broadband connectivity, making use of
bandwidth-intensive services like live streaming of high
definition media and large file downloads without delays or
limitations.
The offer has been designed to ensure that customers get
the most out of local and international calling with Hala.
Dawli International Cards provide some of the most
affordable international calling rates in Qatar, with special
rates for Asian and MENA regions, and with the bonus QR25
call credit, customers can make local and international calls
at incredible rates. Dawli MENA International Calling Cards
provide affordable rate calls to Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
7
NEWSTop Regional & Member News
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Etisalat & Huawei Sign Agreement
to Deliver the Middle East’s First LTE
network
Fujitsu and NEC win Asia cable deal
STC “Groupy” Service Allows
Subscribers to Build Groups via
AlJawal Portal
Etisalat, Middle East and Africa's leading telecom operator,
and Huawei, a leader in providing next-generation
telecommunications network solutions, has announced the
signing of a commercial LTE contract to commence
deployment of the region's widest LTE network in the UAE.
Mr. Nasser bin Obood Acting/CEO Etisalat UAE, and Mr. Yi
Xiang, President for Huawei Middle East witnessed the
signing ceremony at the Etisalat-Huawei Summit 2011 in
Barcelona, Spain. The advanced LTE technology which has
already been tested and deployed on the Etisalat network,
enables the existing network to reach a download speed of
173 Mbps. LTE can accommodate multimedia applications
such as video conferencing, high definition content
transmission, high speed video downloads and social
networks.
Fujitsu and NEC have won the deal from NTT, StarHub and
Telekom Malaysia to construct the Asia Submarine cable
Express system, a high-bandwidth submarine cable system
that will link Japan to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines
and Malaysia. The ASE plane to operational this service by
the end of 2012 and designed for optical transmission
speeds of 40 gigabits a second and will have capacity of at
least 15 terabits a second. The project will cost US$ 430
million. The cable has the capability for further links to other
countries like china and other and to be upgrade up to 100
gigabits a second. The route is designed to avoid
earthquake and typhoon-prone regions, such as the Bashi
Channel south of Taiwan, while at the same time covers the
shortest possible distance between Singapore, Hong Kong
and Japan, in order to ensure maximum reliability and
minimum latency.
STC is now offering the exclusive “Groupy” service that
allows subscribers to build groups and invite their friends to
join via the AlJawal website www.aljawal.net.sa. The
“Groupy” service allows postpaid Jawal, SAWA, and LANA
customers to create up to five private groups for friends,
colleagues or family members and to connect with them by
sending SMS or MMS to multiple members with one simple
and fast click.
MPLS Core Service of Omantel
Certified with ISO 27001 Standards
PCCW, Telstra Complete Reach
Restructure
Cisco Announces New Initiatives to
Help Cloud, Collaboration Partners
Omantel has achieved the distinguished milestone of
having its Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Core
services certified under the internationally renowned ISO
27001 Standards. MPLS provides an integrated network that
can simultaneously handle multiple types of network traffic
with systems designed and implemented to protect
customer data, and to ensure MPLS service availability,
thereby meeting operational objectives and customer
commitments. Omantel Chief Executive, Dr. Amer Al-Rawas
commented, “We are very proud to announce that we have
achieved the internationally recognized ISO 27001
Standards on MPLS services.”
Australia’s Telstra and Hong Kong-based telecom service
provider PCCW have completed their Reach restructure. The
two announced in January that the international assets in
their 50/50 Reach joint venture would be divided between
both parties. The remaining joint assets will continue to be
managed by Reach in Hong Kong. The restructure
represents a milestone in Telstra International’s strategy to
drive greater customer and shareholder value. Telstra
International’s expanded platform in the Asia Pacific region
enables business growth and increased control over the
end-to-end service delivery platform. This will allow its
enterprise and global service provider customers to
experience enhanced customer service, improved service
management and delivery and more competitive market
positioning.
Cisco has announced a series of customer and technology
innovations across the Unified Fabric, Unified Computing
System and Unified Network Services technology portfolios
which form the foundation of its Data Center Business
Advantage architectural framework. Cisco announced that
it has shipped its one millionth Nexus 10 Gigabit Ethernet
port, bringing the total number of Nexus ports in customer
production environments to more than 7,000,000. The
company also surpassed 10,000 NX-OS customers and
neared 4,000 Unified Computing Systems customers at the
end of its fiscal second quarter, demonstrating the
platforms are quickly becoming the infrastructure of choice
for next generation data center virtualization and private
clouds in enterprise, public sector, commercial and service
provider markets.
NEWSTop Regional & Member News
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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8
NEWSTop Regional & Member News
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Turk Telekom Purchases Pantel
International
Alfa Awards 3G Contract to Ericsson
to Upgrade its Mobile Network in
Lebanon
Turk Telekom has purchased Pantel International that has
30,000 km fiber optic network in 16 countries. Turk
Telekom's Director General Mr. Gokhan Bozkurt said the
company had spread its communication infrastructure to
Europe by purchasing the leading wholesale capacity and
data services provider in the CEE region. According to
Bozkurt, Turk Telekom invested around US$5.6 billion in
technology and infrastructure over five years. Turk Telekom
Group's consolidated sales income was up 2.7 percent year-
on-year in 2010 and reached US$6.7 billion. The net profit of
the group was US$1.4 million in 2010.
Alfa, the first Lebanese mobile operator managed by
Orascom Telecom Holding, and Ericsson announced earlier
this month that they have signed a partnership agreement
for the deployment of the third-generation (3G) mobile
communication technology in Lebanon. Under the contract,
Ericsson will be responsible for the upgrade and
modernization of the current Alfa mobile network to 3G/
HSPA+ technology, across the country. The announcement
coincides with Alfa's ongoing efforts to bring latest mobile
technologies to users through introducing and delivering
new and innovative services, while at the same time,
expanding coverage and outreach.
Q-Post Branches to Offer More
Vodafone ProductsQ-Post and Vodafone Qatar have inked a partnership that
would see more Vodafone products sold at Q-Post
branches. Under the agreement, customers can now sign up
to Vodafone and receive a Welcome Pack at Q-Post’s
branches all over the country. Visitors to the Q-Post
branches can buy Red recharge cards and also the popular
International Calling Cards. With 30 Q-Post branches
located all over Qatar, customers greatly benefit from the
agreement, and can take advantage of other services
offered by Q-Post, from making e-government payments,
to renewing licenses and health cards.
9
Exclusive Interview
Operator
Leader's Vision
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
What are your current corporate
ventures in the pipeline?PTCL Corporate Ventures remain centered on enhancing its
market share and growth in highly competitive market of
Pakistan. One of the critical tasks on hand is to maximize
gains through synergies between PTCL and Our Mobile
Operator of Ufone. We strongly feel that there is huge value
to unleash if we can timely manage and implement given
that both Companies have unique opportunity and
position.
Walid Irshaid
President & CEO
PTCL
Following Rev A launch,
is the launch of EVO 3GNitro-
a Rev B powered device that
offers unmatched internet
speeds of upto 9.3 Mbps on
downlink & upto 5.4 Mbps on
uplink with the largest Rev-B
network in the world with
spread in metropolitans and
surrounding areas.
10
Exclusive InterviewOperator Leader's Vision
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
w w w . s a m e n a c o u n c i l . o r g
Tell us about your latest Value Added
Ser vices (VAS), how do they
differentiate your brand identity
relative to other operators?
What are the types/categories of
Value Added Services (VAS) that is
getting big response from customers
as opposed to other types of Value
Added Services (VAS)?
Our VAS offers are aimed at different customer and product
segments. In the voice segment our conference call facility is
gaining popularity. Online gaming and Buzz have proved to
be the leading VAS applications on the Broadband side. Our
Time shift application on IPTV has also received a very warm
response from our customers. We PTCL however are no
more making or classifying services to be “ Basic “ or Value
Add in the conventional definition of the two terms. We see
what is essential and required by our Customers and places
all the emphasis and priority. I strongly believe VAS is now
becoming core to the business and therefore can’t be any
longer regarded as value –Add.
PTCL has a very wide portfolio of VAS as we are the only
integrated Telecom Company in Pakistan with country wide
reach that offers voice as well as data services to its
subscribers. We have recently launched Personal Global
Number service for our high end users that allows our
subscribers to get a unique number that enables you to use
one single number as your identity for receiving or making
calls from land line or mobile services.
On our PTCL Buzz portal we have provided a lot of
infotainment content for our broadband subscribers for
streaming and downloading without any additional charges
as we want our valued customers to have a unique
experience in availing PTCL’s broadband services Similarly,
our Smart TV has a time shift feature that allows you to
rewind the most viewed channels up to an hour so that you
don’t miss your favorite programs in case you miss the time
during which a specific program is relayed. This feature
during live sports matches such as World Cup Cricket
creates a lot of excitement in our Smart TV subscribers to
review the critical events during a match.
PTCL has always strived to introduce products & services
that add more value to our customer’s lives. One such
product aimed to give our customers a far more enhanced
user experience of instant connectivity while on the move is
PTCL EVO. EVO is a diverse suite of products launched by
PTCL that is offering a world of convenience in terms of
broadband and wireless connectivity to the customers in
Pakistan. With two innovative launches following the launch
of EVO (Rev-A), EVDO technology has made its mark in the
broadband world of an emerging market in Asia. Among the
major milestones that PTCL has achieved in the wireless
broadband market.
Following Rev A launch, is the launch of EVO 3GNitro- a Rev
B powered device that offers unmatched internet speeds of
upto 9.3 Mbps on downlink & upto 5.4 Mbps on uplink with
the largest Rev-B network in the world with spread in
metropolitans and surrounding areas. This launch not only
made PTCL the global pioneer in the commercial launch of
Rev B technology but also made Pakistan the first country in
the world to commercially launch the Rev B. The latest
innovative addition to EVO’s Product portfolio is EVO Wifi
cloud which is Pakistan’s first intelligent mobile Wi-Fi device
that combines the best of two technologies, EVO 3G 3.1
MBPS wireless internet and Wi-Fi in a smart 3G enabled,
sleek, pocket fit sized, wireless broadband device, allowing
our users to carry their own Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot wherever
What have been the major milestones
you have achieved as one of the well-
known telecom players in the region?
I strongly believe VAS is
now becoming core to the
business and therefore can’t
be any longer regarded as
value –Add.
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they move across the country. EVO Wifi cloud combines the
functionalities of a modem, router and an access point in a
device small enough to fit the pocket yet powerful enough
to provide internet access to 5 Wi-Fi enabled gadgets and
users simultaneously ;just by the touch of a button.
Another major milestone has been the launch of the robust,
resilient, redundant and diversif ied international
infrastructure of three submarine cables namely SMW3,
SMW4 and the most recently launched IMEWE. Our latest
investment in IMEWE submarine cable will play a major role
in the expansion of broadband services enabling PTCL to
offer quality service to all Customers with restriction or
limitation. We, in PTCL, strongly advocate affordable
Broadband for every household. And shall diligently
continue work and investment towards this milestone.
In PTCL, Having gone through enormous and major
transformation from state- owned and state-monopoly
into Market- driven and Customer- oriented Corporation
we continue to face major challenges throughout
irrespective of the size of the project we undertake. However
I can sum it up by saying that we took holistic approach to
transformation and change involving our Service, Network,
Systems and Processes Human Capital and our Culture.
PTCL was rebranded and its market image and perception
had to overhauled.
I perhaps can’t comment on what operators are training
themselves to adapt in the SAMENA region but can say what
we are training ourselves in PTCL to adapt and that simple
and plain: How to hear our Customers and respond to them
quickly and swiftly. To Retain Customers, we must make it
easy for them to do business with us.
Can you tell us a situation where you
facilitated a complex project that
s p a n n e d a c r o s s s e v e r a l
depar tments/ funct ions? What
challenges did you faced and how did
you overcome them?
What are the current market
provisions that operators are training
themselves to adapt in the SAMENA
region, especially keeping in view the
customers’ demands?
From the industry overview, it appears
that the demand from the customers
on localized content is growing
rapidly. How do you plan to embark
upon that opportunity?Pakistani market is more receptive for local content on
entertainment services but equally interested in foreign
content for information services. To address the growing
needs of local content PTCL recently launched Music
Station and song dedication for PSTN and Vfone users. To
further capitalize on local content market we are planning
health helpline and PTCL Kissan (farmers) service etc.
In TV market PTCL is honored to relay the biggest number of
local channels covering the regional representation,
cultural and linguistic demand. In our existing 107 channels
offering we are carrying around 80 local channels including
15 regional channels. We are going to add two more
channels of local content in addition to existing 07 in house
channels (Awakening, Smart Products, Smart Classics like
black & white songs, smart melodies like coloured songs,
smart comedy and smart films).
We believe that for local content development there is a lot
of opportunity and we have partnered with many such
providers and developers to bring the benefits to our
subscribers.
Pakistani market is
more receptive for local
content on entertainment
s e r v i c e s b u t e q u a l l y
interested in foreign content
for information services. To
address the growing needs of
local content PTCL recently
launched Music Station and
song dedication for PSTN and
Vfone users.
PTCL’s emphasis is on
ensuring that customers
receive a variety of new
telecom services through
s t r e a m - l i n e d b u s i n e s s
operations, deployment of
latest technologies and
attaining higher levels of
Customer satisfaction at all
the contact points
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Please tell us about your customer
services. What challenges do you
expect that may arise in future or have
arisen in the past to retain the
customers?
What is your opinion on regulatory
policies; do you feel they are providing
impartial opportunities for industry
players, how are your relations with
other industry players?
PTCL has established the customer service network through
133 One Stop Shops and Contact Centers, and are equipped
to handle customer Queries, Sales, Complaints and also
provide Directory Assistance Service. A dedicated
Outbound Contact Center is responsible for carrying out
retention campaigns, customer satisfaction surveys,
verification of fault rectifications, Churn prevention
campaigns and Telemarketing services.
Primary challenge for PTCL is continuity of service to its
customers and to assure un-interrupted service, and when it
comes to provisioning of services through copper and fiber
networks, there are many external factors affecting service
continuity, including development works by other agencies
which involve damage to our underground networks,
malicious cable cuts, power outages and natural disasters.
In this regard, convenient channels are available to register
complaints, and the registered faults are consistently
followed-up for early resolution. These constraints are
being addressed through extensive and prompt restoration
of networks, in order to retain our customers.
In Believe that the regulatory policies provide equal
opportunity and level playing field to all licensed Telecom
Operators in Pakistan. Keeping every operator happy and
content perhaps difficult given that market is seemingly
over-crowded with more than forty ( 40 ) active players and
therefore the market is becoming overly competitive. In all
this maze, PTCL being the incumbent is surly taking the toll
of this liberalization challenge.
All players to live and co-exist. What is more important and
vital to us in PTCL are the abundant market opportunities
which are still available and possible.
What major contributions have you
made to the market , which,
consequent ly, insp i red t rend
formation or technology adoption?In the recent past, telecom sector has kept its pace to bring
innovative changes in the state-of-the-art information
communication technology (ICT) services all over the world.
PTCL being the leading integrated information & telecom
service provider of Pakistan focused its efforts to change
customers experience from narrowband to enriched
broadband with cutting-edge technologies and
multimedia applications. PTCL’s emphasis is on ensuring
that customers receive a variety of new telecom services
through stream-lined business operations, deployment of
latest technologies and attaining higher levels of Customer
satisfaction at all the contact points. Some of these are
worth mentioning as below:
Wire-line Broad band As telecom revenue now has shifted
from simple voice domain to broadband and available
technologies and applications in the market are also
broadband & multimedia focused than the simple voice
based solution. Broadband is now driving the future
business everywhere in the world and only one would be in
the leading position that gets this infrastructure in its
network well in time. In May 2007, PTCL launched its DSL
Broadband service with the strategy of proliferating
Broadband in the country. Launched under the brand name
of 'Broadband Pakistan', PTCL by the end of Dec 2010 had
taken Broadband to more than 1000 cities with a installed
base of over 1 million lines.
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Wireless Broadband
PTCL Landline
Smart Services
Corporate Business
PTCL started its wireless broadband business in year 2009
by launching its EVDO product (Rev-A). PTCL flagship
product (EVO) has gained significant attraction and
popularity with its user friendly and plug-n play features.
PTCL not only put the title in its name as pioneer of 3G
Wireless Broadband service in Pakistan by launching “EVO
3G Wireless broadband” in year 2009 but it also continued
its Journey and launched the World’s first & most cutting
edge EV-DO Rev.B commercial network in 2010. PTCL is the
first operator in the world to commercially launch EV-DO
Rev.B products i.e. EVO 3G Nitro, which offer blazing fast
speeds of up to 9.3 Mbps. EVO 3G Nitro is all set to meet the
next-generation’s need for ultimate speed & superior
performance. Super fast 3G wireless broadband services
were launched using CDMA EVDO Rev B technology at
major cities of Pakistan, which are expanded to other cities.
Rev B services will be instrumental in achieving optimum
QoS standards, customer experience and revenue targets.
Rev B enabled BTS will also be LTE ready, which is an
upcoming 4G technology for the future.
Since the deregulation of the telecom sector, a large
number of foreign investors opted for licenses in LL, LDI and
cellular operations, identifying Pakistan as an emerging
market. In this situation, we focused on efforts to
modernize network for the delivery of new services beyond
voice. Most of the network elements augmented to deliver
VAS & multimedia applications in order to beef-up the
company revenue.
PTCL built advanced & state of the art IPTV middleware to
deliver a lot of smart services that put PTCL on the path of a
paradigm shift. Branded under 'PTCL Smart Line', the
service included Interactive Television, Broadband and
voice Telephony all at the same time on PTCL's telephone
line. The 'Smart TV', for the first time offered TV viewers the
power to control the TV channels interactively. This
included the ability to rewind and pause live TV channels,
block / unblock any TV channel for parental lock and search
through video on demand content.
For corporate customers, we are providing diversified and
innovative technology based products, in line with market
needs. Starting from business connectivity to managed
network solutions, now PTCL is delivering state of the art
products like Unified communication, Tele-presence,
iSentry, security, Video conferencing, Managed WAN,
Managed LAN etc. PTCL has established world class Data
centers at Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to serve its
corporate customers with the offering to store data on the
cloud and offer their hosted services worldwide. These Data
Centers conform to latest standards and have been
certified by international bodies (EPI) for Tier-III and Tier-IV
level that is the highest level in the industry.
PTCL has also enhanced its footprint by deploying Tele-
presence centers at multiple locations across the country
for delivering converged Tele conferencing facility to
corporate segment. Now corporate customers could
leverage this product for saving its travelling expenses and
valued time.
The customers are educated and are exposed to customer
services not only with the direct competition but also across
the service industry. Today, the customers compare
customer services of PTCL not only with the customer
service provided by a telecom provider, but they also
compare the customer services offered to them by other
industries like airlines, banks, mobile operators, etc. This has
resulted in highest levels of expectations from customers,
and has brought every service provider in our competition.
While fulfilling customer needs and expectations, the
fulfillment of competitors services are swift as those
services are provided through certain commands through
the customer care systems or sales networks, however, the
fulfillment of our customer needs is significantly dependent
on the physical visits and physical work, e.g., repair of a
faulty line or provisioning of a new service requires physical
visit of Technicians and hence requires time. Nevertheless,
PTCL is working on bringing the turn around time to
minimum possible, by setting KPIs for service provisioning
and fault resolution.
How do you look at other operators as
a competitor when it comes to
fulfilling the customer needs?
We have emphasized on
availability of customer
service channels at customers
convenience, and Contact
C e n t e r s h a v e b e e n
established for technical
support, fault registration as
well as for ordering new
ser vices. These contact
centers are operational on 24
/ 7 basis and customers can
contact at a time of their
convenience.
We apply full strength
and passion to deliver results
and judgment we leave to our
Customers and certainly to
our shareholders.
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Which vital steps you have taken in
order to maintain your quality and
satisfaction level of your customers?Customer satisfaction and ensuring quality service is a
continuous process. Service improvement measures are
taken efficiently and regularly. Customer satisfaction
surveys and mystery shopping activities are performed to
ascertain the customer satisfaction and to identify customer
needs, and corrective actions are taken based on customer
feedback. Similarly, refresher courses, training of staff at OSS
and Contact Center are carried out to ensure a positive
customer experience. We have emphasized on availability of
customer service channels at customers convenience, and
Contact Centers have been established for technical
support, fault registration as well as for ordering new
services. These contact centers are operational on 24 / 7
basis and customers can contact at a time of their
convenience. The customer service channels are being
further enhanced and a state of the art CRM is under
implementation, and we have plans to offer more channels
for customers to contact us through email, internet and SMS
etc.
In addition to Contact Centers, PTCL Customers can reach us
by visiting one of our 133 One Stop Shops (OSS) offering
one window operation and these One Stop Shops are
strategically located to ease the reach of our valued
customers. These One Stop Shops have been designed to
facilitate customers and to provide all the services including
Order booking for Wireline services, sales of Wireless
products, Billing services, Information services and fault
registrations under one roof. The staff is trained to handle
customers from varying backgrounds and different walks of
life.
I have personally been associated with SAMENA since
perhaps its inception witnessing its expansion and
evolution. To date. One can only say that SAMENA has come
long way and its today established as the only Forum
serving the ICT Community in this Region. The Telecom and
Information subjects being debated and discussed are all of
critical and strategic importance and value enhancing
bonds and relationships between all Stakeholders in this
Region.
Leadership style is here revolves around creating team
spirit and harmony focused on delivery and timely
execution. Whatever we do here we always feel that we are
in race with time and this implies instilling the strong sense
of empowerment and ownership.
We apply full strength and passion to deliver results and
judgment we leave to our Customers and certainly to our
shareholders.
Please share your thoughts with us
regarding SAMENA Council as a
knowledge sharing platform?
Please describe your style of
leadership as a CEO. How has your
style of leadership contributed to the
success of your vision and mission?
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Regional Performance
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SAMENA Region Broadband Penetration
SAMENA Region Broadband Subscribers
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Regulatory
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REGULATORY NEWSOfcom Unveils Mobile Broadband
Spectrum Trading PlansOfcom is considering allowing network operators to trade
spectrum for the first time. New proposals for freeing up
radio spectrum to improve services such as mobile
broadband have been announced by the regulator. Ofcom
said the plans will, for the first time, allow network operators
to trade the spectrum that is used by mobile devices to
communicate with masts. Under the proposals, carriers that
have a greater need for spectrum will be able to bid for it
from their rivals that require it less. "One important way of
meeting demand is making the acquisition of spectrum as
flexible as possible," insisted Ed Richards, Chief Executive of
Ofcom. Mobile broadband usage could be set for further
growth in the near future, as both Ericsson and ABI Research
have predicted the global total of these connections will
reach one billion in 2011.
F e d e r a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
Commission Awards Authorization
for Comcast NBC MergerThe FCC awards authorization of the Comcast NBC
combination. About 51 percent of NBC could be taken over
by Comcast and Comcast has promised to add 1,000 hours
of informational and news programming. Specif ic
regulations have also been put in place to help prevent the
Comcast-controlled NBC from using its control to
discourage competitors in both internet and TV
programming arenas. "After a thorough review, we have
adopted strong and fair merger conditions to ensure this
transaction serves the public interest," FCC Chairman Julius
Genachowski said in a statement. The FCC said the Comcast-
NBC merger will be required to take steps to increase
competition in the video marketplace. In addition, Comcast
has committed to expanding local news coverage, expand
programs for Spanish-speaking viewers and offer Internet
access to schools and libraries.
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Regulatory
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S r i L a n k a S e t s O u t g o i n g
International Call Levy
Icasa to Tackle Digital Dividend
Spectrum
UAE Expands Spectrum Monitoring
and Control System
Qatar opens consultation on
telecom sector development
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri
Lanka has set a levy on outgoing international calls of LKR 2
per minute. The amendment also allows operators to
terminate international calls on pre assigned PSTN
numbers. The termination levies have been set at USD 3 per
number per month and USD 1.50 per minute for every
minute over 1,500 minutes a month.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa)
says it plans to develop a regulatory strategy that will
include a 10-year plan for managing spectrum that could be
used for broadband roll-out in SA. According to the
statement of Icasa chairman “The strategy will seek to bring
a holistic approach to regulatory activities that are relevant
to meeting government’s policy goal of achieving universal
access to broadband by 2019.” The new 10-year plan will not
only provide more information on the imminent auction of
spectrum in the 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz bands but will also
examine the allocation of the “digital dividend” television
spectrum when it becomes available in a few years’ time.
The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)
expanded the spectrum frequencies monitoring and control
system by adding seven stations to the existing mobile
stations. The system can be controlled electronically from
the authority headquarters in Abu Dhabi or Dubai sub-
headquarters, and it doesn't require the presence of any
staff at the stations. The system also means to reduce
harmful interference in order to achieve the highest quality
of radio services.
Qatar's telecommunications authority ictQatar published a
consultation document which assesses the sector's
performance against the f ive main objectives of
liberalization, namely to encourage competition, to increase
customer benefits, to support the health of the industry, to
create sustainable investments, and to encourage
ubiquitous services. The purpose is to point out some of the
most important issues affecting the market and telecom
operators comment and share their views.
Ofcom Calls on ISPs to Advertise
More Realistic Speeds
ictQATAR Launches Qatar Domains
Registry
Romania Consults on Awarding of
Mobile Broadband Licenses
UK telecoms regulator Ofcom is to introduce a new code of
practice later this year under which it hopes ISPs will be
more realistic in their advertising of broadband speeds. The
watchdog has released figures showing that the average
advertised speed in the UK is currently 13.8Mbps, whereas
the actual average speed being delivered to UK households
is only 6.2Mbps. The new code will be introduced in July and
ISPs will be expected to accompany any “top end” speed
boasts with a typical speeds range (TSR) of at least equal
prominence.
The Internet is one-step closer to being more accessible to
speakers of Arabic in Qatar and around the world with the
official launch of the Qatar Domains Registry (QDR), which
was officially unveiled to the public this evening by the
Supreme Council of Information and Communication
Technology (ictQATAR). QDR, which will be managed by
ictQATAR will begin making Qatar-specific Internet domain
names in Arabic and Latin-scripts available to select
organizations in Qatar immediately, with general domains
available to the public by August of 2011.
Romania's telecommunications authority Ancom opened a
public consultation concerning the principles, terms and
procedure for the awarding of the rights to use the
spectrum in the 2500 2690 MHz and 790 - 862 MHz
frequency bands. The consultation's aim is to establish the
strategy on the introduction of broadband mobile
communications in the above-mentioned two frequency
bands. Considering that the broadband mobile
communications services are also provided in the 900, 1800
and 2100 MHz bands, one of the objectives under this
strategy is to ensure equitable spectrum portfolios for all
the operators holding usage rights in the frequency bands
intended for the provision of broadband communications
networks and services.
Regulatory News
Regulatory
A SNAPSHOT OF REGULATORY ACTIVITIES
IN SAMENA REGION
18 SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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In this aggressive telecom market, the intangible market share is more than just a goal as it’s a business essential. The
Operators are spending a large chunk of investment to win new customers and spending even more to maintain the
customers. In today’s world telecom is one of the basic necessity not only for general public but also for business community
in particular. All consumers want it to be just reliable and ubiquitous. The customers want reliability, consistency and filling
their needs. The price is generally of no big consequence to the consumer as he or she is willing to pay premium price for their
preferred satisfactory service. That is why customers not always go after the supplier with the lowest price. The customer
always prefers a boutique provider as he or she believes that they are paying the low price and enjoying full service with peace
of mind and most importantly everything under one roof. Customers are very touchy about the tariff plans and bundling of
services. They are also conscious about protection of their personal information and most significantly they feel high about
their service provider if it is engaged in community services. Due to breaking of the monopolies of telecom Operators,
competition between Operators become more and more intense and in SAMENA region Operators are dedicatedly
enhancing the quality and level of their customer services centers. Towards the end of last two decades, the potential of
telecommunication Operators to focal point effectively on the customer has demonstrated to be one of the most aggressive
issues and consequently customer satisfaction has been set be as an important Key Performance Indicator (KPI). Inadequacy
to spot and resolve customer service issues leads to loss of market share, loss of repute, and eventually loss of profits, resulting
in the worst of all, every lost customer is a new customer for the competitor.
Regulatory
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Country-wise Regulatory Activities
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Afghanistan
Algeria
Bahrain
During the reporting month telecom industry saw a wave of
jubilance in Afghan government circles on winning the
Mobile Industry’s most prestigious annual Government
Leadership GSMA Award in ‘Mobile World Congress 2011’
held in Barcelona. This award recognizes the immense
achievements made by the Afghan Regulator in its
commitment to the widespread expansion of mobile
communications. In just ten years the Afghan government
has taken a country with no mobile infrastructure to a point
where 80% of the population is now covered by
telecommunications networks. It has licensed four GSM
operators and has created an environment of healthy,
transparent competition and low-cost, broad accessibility.
The Regulator withdrew the operating licenses of 34
internet service providers (ISPs) with immediate effect due
to nonpayment of their annual license fees or 'number
management service charges'. The Regulator said that the
license cancellations do not affect its right to pursue legal
action and recover the debts in court. The 34 companies
stripped of their licenses include: Algerian Wireless
Network, Alonecom, AT & IT, Call Contact, Computing
Communication and Control Engineering, Compass, Daya
Net, DZ Line, Fatna Industrial Equipment Rental and Public
Works, Net-Force, ICM Global Net, Informatique Generation
Technique (IGT), Houa Imtihan, Internet Way, IPAT,
International Satellite Communication Algeria (ISCA),
Kourty Electronique, Korea Telecom Algerie, Mediterranean
Network, Medianet, MTEL, Net Access, Nomad Phone,
Phonitel Technology, Provider Internet Services (PIS), RT
Bouyema.com, Solution Electronique Informatique (SEI),
Servnet, Skynet Works, Visonet, WebPhone Network and
Wont.
The Regulator announced a new consultation initiative with
the formation of the Radiocommunications Consultative
Committee (RCC). The RCC will principally focus towards the
users of equipment and radio frequency spectrum which are
subject to the Telecommunications Law; however the
committee will also monitor international activities and
discuss other issues of importance to the sector.
Establishing RCC was one of the regulator's objectives to
facilitate the effectiveness of the management of the radio
frequency spectrum used for telecommunications services
in Bahrain. Regulator has issued invitations to fixed link
licensees and service providers as well as equipment
suppliers and installers to attend this meeting on March 27,
2011 with the hope that RCC will become an essential part of
the regulatory framework within Bahrain.
Bangladesh
Egypt
Iraq
Jordan
Lebanon
During the month the Regulator on the recommendation of
Domestic Network Coordination Committee and the
Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications issued a guideline
on ‘Rural Telecommunication Network Development &
Utilization’. In its latest release the regulator reported the
total number of mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh
grew to 70.34 million in January from 68.65 million in
December 2010. The Regulator is also in process of revising
the existing Telecom Policy. On the recommendation of the
Regulator government is planning to reduce SIM taxes and
plans to rationalize fees for 2G license renewal and
spectrum charges in the upcoming budget.
During the reporting month according to figures released
by the Regulator, the number of mobile telephone users in
the country grew 25% to 66.87 million as of November from
a year earlier. In November 2009, Egypt's three mobile
operators, Etisalat Egypt, MobiNil and Vodafone Egypt, had
53.682 million subscribers.
The Regulator fined Kuwait-based telecoms provider Zain
US$262 million for licensing agreement violations. The
Regulator’s board of trustees told that Zain had the right to
appeal the decision to the commission's board of appeal.
Zain used 5 million SIM cards and airdropped them to the
market without the knowledge or permission of the
regulator. The Zain plans to appeal the government fine for
breaching its license.
The regulator awarded M/s Omnitele a contract for radio
frequency management in Jordan. As a part of the project,
Omnitele will create new regulation for the liberalization of
a number of licensed bands in the radio spectrum. This will
include a structure for frequency license renewal fees and
possible compensation, a re-farming process for some of
the bands, and procedures for the grant of new spectrum
licenses. As the regulator recognized the need to adopt
frequency management framework to the changes visible in
the industry, especially in the area of frequency license
valuation, it wanted to involve one of the top
telecommunications consultancies in the development
process.
The Regulator under the Capacity Building Project intends
to apply part of the proceeds of this grant to payments
under the contract for "Building Capacity of the TRA on
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Spectrum Policy and ICT Convergence Regulatory Issues.
The services include building the knowledge of the staff in
technical aspects of innovations and international best
practices regarding regulation. The Regulator also issued a
regulatory framework that outlined the requirements for all
newly constructed buildings where exploitation area
exceeds 800 square meters or have at least 3 floors to
provide special provisions to carry Broadband Network
inside the building. In another development the Lebanese
internet service providers (ISPs) Cedarcom and Broadband
Plus have filed a joint lawsuit against the Ministry of
Telecommunications (MoT) for ‘disallowing’ them from
providing DSL broadband services. The lawsuit, filed on
February 7, asserts that the MoT violated a memorandum of
understanding between the ministry, national PTO Ogero
Telecom, and a number of private sector internet providers.
Cedarcom and Broadband Plus complain that they set up
equipment in preparation for the introduction of DSL in
Lebanon in 2007, only to find that the government
prevented them from providing the service, leading to the
loss of ‘millions of dollars’. The ADSL services were officially
inaugurated in Lebanon over Ogero’s network in May 2007,
with ISPs and Data Service Providers (DSPs) permitted to
offer services via wholesale agreements with the incumbent
telco. Cedarcom provides broadband services using
fixed/wireless platforms including iBurst and pre-WiMAX
technology, but also previously announced plans to roll out
extensive ADSL services.
During the reporting month the state-owned broadband
provider Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT) confirmed that
it has launched Libya’s third mobile phone network, under
the brand name LibyaPhone Mobile. Although no precise
rollout details have been confirmed by the operator, it
claims that its network has capacity for around 100,000
customers during the first phase of its operations. Further,
LibyaPhone Mobile has pledged to extend coverage to
areas under-served by fellow state-owned cellcos Libyana
and Al Madar Telecomm Company.
According to a recent study by the Regulator, the country’s
penetration rose by 20 points. The market also saw 26.36%
mobile customer growth, reaching 31.98 million at the end
of December, up from 25.31 million. The fastest quarter of
year-on-year customer growth was the third, at 9.41%
followed by the first at 6.46%. Maroc Telecom had a 52.81%
share at the end of 2010, versus 33.74% for Medi Telecom
and 13.45% for Wana Corporate. In December 2009, they
were 60.34, 37.27 and 2.39% respectively. Prepaid accounts
for 96.16% of the market. The fixed market saw 6.63%
customer growth to 3.75 million, with penetration reaching
11.9%. Residential lines represent 85.37%, business 10.75%
and payphones 3.88%. Wana Corporate has a 66.72% share
of Morocco’s fixed line market, followed by Maroc Telecom
(32.83%) and Medi Telecom (0.45%). The internet market,
including fixed and mobile, grew by 57.29% to 1.87 million
Libya
Morocco
customers. Internet penetration, which stood at 0.38% in
2004, was 5.92% in 2010. Maroc Telecom has a 56% internet
market share, Wana Corporate 29.86% and Medi Telecom
14%.
The Regulator announced plans to cut the interconnection
tariff of international call termination with a hope that the
measure will reduce use of illegal VoIP services. Four telcos
currently own VoIP licenses. The Regulator also issued a
Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Selection of an Operator
to Establish Common Service Center for the Provision of
Internet and Internet Telephony Services in the Selected
VDCs of Nepal. A sub-committee of Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) under Legislature Parliament has decided
to carry out a detailed study of the frequency distribution
and irregularities in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
The Regulator granted Sama Telecoms the country's third
telecom license. Under the first grade license, Sama may set
up and operate a system to provide general international
telecoms services for 15 years. State-controlled Omantel
lost its monopoly in 2006, with the launch of Nawras, a unit
of Qtel.
The Regulator and the telecom sector are optimistic about
the success of 3G (third generation) telecommunication
services in Pakistan, despite resistance from some telecom
operators. Experts from the telecom sector are hopeful that
3G will be as successful, when it replaces the current 2G
system as 2G was when it superseded the 1G analogue
system. The Regulator also conducted two successful raids
against illegal call termination setups. These raids were
conducted on the basis of information obtained through
PTA traffic monitoring facility which detects grey/illegal
traffic. The regulator’s statistics showed that 3.59 million
new mobile phone subscriptions reported in 1HFY11
against 3.24 million connections added by the cellular
phone operators in 1HFY10. The overall cellular phone
users’ base has increased to reach 102.777 million by
December 2010 whereas it stood at 97.57 million by
December 2009. Similarly, the teledensity of the cellular
phone has surged to 61.7% by the end of first half of the
current fiscal year 2010-11 versus 59.60% reported in the
last year by the end of same month. In the 1HFY09, cellular
firms have added only 0.581 connections on their network
as against massive subscriber growth of 11.2 million in
1HFY08. Telecom analysts termed the market performance
in terms of subscribers’ growth as tremendous because of
better-than-expected increase in overall base by five
operators. Cellular phone operators’ strategies to enhance
customers with revamped brands have been successful as it
attracted new and existing mobile phone users to obtain
day and night lowest calls offers on similar network (on-
net).
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Regulatory
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A Snapshot of Regulatory Activities in SAMENA Region
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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Palestine
Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka
Syria
During the reporting month the Ministry of Telecom and
I n fo rmat ion Techno logy g ran ted two r ad io
communications in UHF Band to local companies.
Qatar: Due to proactive regulatory approach Qatar has
become one of the first countries to apply to the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for
creation of an Arabic Domain Name. Qatar-specific Arabic
Domain Names will be available starting in March 2011, with
government entities and registered trademark holders
being given priority during the registration launch phases.
During the month two largest mobile phone operators by
subscribers STC and Mobily are considering selling off a
large stake in a projected US$2.5 billion merged cell tower
business. State-owned market leader STC owns and
operates around 11,000 towers, whilst second placed
operator Mobily has around 3,500. It is believed that the two
companies intend to merge their collective assets, before
selling off a large stake in the combined business to an
outside investor. By spinning off their cell tower holdings
into an independent business the two operators may be
able to attract rival carriers as tenants, and boost earnings.
The Regulator set a levy on outgoing international calls of
LKR 2 per minute. The amendment also allows operators to
terminate international calls on pre assigned PSTN
numbers. The termination levies have been set at US$ 3 per
number per month and US$ 1.50 per minute for every
minute over 1,500 minutes a month. The regulator also
released the first set of download speeds of 3G mobile
broadband for the month of January 2011.To collect
random speed test samples, four remote tests were
conducted. The tests were conducted for a period of twenty
four hours in each location and readings from 09:00 to 00:00
were taken for the purposes of publishing. The test results
obtained from the automated system have shown a
significant download speed improvement in all three
services. The peak time speeds in mobile broadband
services have risen by over 80% since the beginning of this
benchmarking process initiated by the TRC.
The auction for a third mobile network operating license in
Syria will begin in April with a starting bid of EUR90 million
(US$122.2 million). At the end of last year the Syrian
authorities set April 12, 2011 as date to auction the country’s
third mobile license. At the time the Syrian communications
and technology minister, added that to facilitate the process
an independent regulator would be set up ahead of the
auction. However, a separate report suggested that the five
firms (Turkcell, France Telecom, Saudi Telecom Company,
Etisalat and Qtel) pre-qualified to bid for the license have
reacted strongly to the Syrian government’s call that they
provide revenue projections for their prospective
businesses there. In a meeting in Damascus in 4Q10, Syrian
telecom officials came under scrutiny concerning ‘sections
in the tender where investors see risk, and vagueness about
certain clauses.’
During the reporting period the Tunisia government has
suspended plans to launch an IPO for state-owned Tunisie
Telecom after protests against the planned sale. Secretary of
State for Communication Technologies said a final decision
would be taken in consultation with Tunisia's strategic
partners within days over whether to go ahead with the IPO.
Tunisia's government holds a 65% stake in Tunisie Telecom,
with the rest held jointly by Dubai's Tecom Investments and
Dubai Investment Group. In yet another development
attributing it to the circumstances Tunisia is living through,
the new Secretary of State for ICT during a press conference
announced the suspension of the privatization of the
incumbent telephone operator TT (Tunisie Télécom). The
government has decided the outright cancellation of any
intention to privatize TT.
The Regulator issued a draft regulation on “Standards for
Determination of Exposure Limit Values, Control and
Supervision for Electronic Communication Devices
Regulations”. The Regulations earlier issued on May 16,
2009 have been abolished and shall construe as reference to
this Regulation. The Regulator also issued an amendment to
the Private Radio System Regulation.
The regulator, Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the National
World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) Committee,
through the Higher Child Protection Committee (HCPC),
celebrated the global Safer Internet Day, a global initiative
organized by Insafe each year in February to promote safer
and more responsible use of online technology, especially
amongst the young around the world.
Tunisia
Turkey
UAE
Technology
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TOP TECHNOLOGY UPDATES
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ARM Launches New Cortex-R5 and
R7 CPUsARM announced the launch of the ARM Cortex-R5 MPCore
and the Cortex-R7 MPCore processors for use in 3G and 4G
mobile devices. The new processors allow the firm's
partners to 'future-proof their designs based on a single
consistent architecture'. The Cortex-R5 and the Cortex-R7
may be implemented as single or dual-core processors
while the Cortex-R7 features SMP multicore technology
with new real-time enhancements which the firm said
enables performance and energy efficiency to be optimized
for the intended applications. These two advanced
processors bring together more than 20 years of ARM
expertise in low-power design with a host of new high-
performance and real-time technologies. IMAQLIQ and
Opera Software Bring Latest browsing technology to IPTV
IMAQLIQ, a Russian developer of telecommunications
equipment with a broad international footprint, will
integrate Opera on its line of devices for interactive TV.
Technology, coupled with strong industry partnerships,
makes the Opera Devices Software Development Kit (SDK)
the ideal solution for IPTV deployments. It is easy to
integrate with streaming media players, conditional access
systems, and personal video recorders/applications and can
be used to create and render middleware portals. The SDK
provides maximum performance on the platform is
optimized for hardware and supports the latest standards.
The collaboration allows customers to have access to the
most on-demand applications such as YouTube, vkontakte
and Google.
Technology
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DoCoMo Tests LTE-Advanced;
Targets 1Gbps Download Speeds
Blackberry Playbook to Use
WiMAX, LTE and HSPA
NTT DoCoMo has announced that it has got licensed to
begin pilot trails of 4G LTE-Advanced technology, which
promises to provide data rates much faster than currently
possible with LTE. The operator aims to launch field
experiments to evaluate LTE-Advanced in real radio
environments in the cities of Yokosuka and Sagamihara in
Kanagawa region. DoCoMo has already confirmed that in
trials of the ‘true’ 4G platform in its R&D centre, it achieved
transmission rates of around 1Gbps (downlink) and
200Mbps (uplink). DoCoMo expects to have 1,000 base
stations operational by the end of the financial year. The
company is confident of having 35,000 4G base stations and
coverage of 70% by the end of March 2015.
Research in Motion announced that it will utilize even more
high speed networks in the second quarter of 2011 and will
have direct support for LTE and HSPA + networks later on,
the year. The Blackberry Playbook is launching soon,
although it is the WiFi only model with no cellular
connection to the internet. So if the basic wireless model is
not to your liking of the users, Sprint will be releasing a
WiMAX model during the summer time. Evolved High
Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) is used by AT&T and T-
Mobile in the United States and Rogers and Telus in Canada.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the new standard that Verizon
Wireless, among others, has started to deploy. Both
standards are designed to carry increased amounts of data
needed for video streaming and large file downloads at
improved speeds. Telecom Engineering USA Unveils WDM
Lite PON System
Telecom Engineering has unveiled its WDM Lite PON
system. The WDM-PON system is designed to give last-mile
fiber providers a highly secure and flexible alternative to
GPON and EPON. Using Telecom Engineering’s WDM
technology, up to 44 channels are multiplexed onto a fiber
trunk. One channel is dropped at each customer location
using a one- or two-fiber drop cable and Telecom
Engineering ONU. Each channel at each customer location
can support 100 Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), OC-48,
10GbE, OC-192, 40-Gbps, or 100-Gbps traffic. This gives
services providers significant flexibility and bandwidth
expansion capacity, enabling them to maximize their
revenues without having to overbuild their network.
High-Gain Linear Amplifier Module
Enables WiMAX to Coexist
Telekom Continues UMTS Network
Upgrade in Rural Areas
T-Mobile Pulls Plug on Sidekick, to
Rebuild with Android, 4G
Avago Technologies has announced a linear power
amplifier module for mobile and fixed wireless data WiMAX
applications that include WiFi and other cellular radios. The
MGA-22103 module features an aggressive gain shape that
limits the noise injected into radio receivers co-located in
the same device, enabling WiMAX to coexist with WiFi, GPS,
PCS and other radios in handsets, tablets, USB dongles and
other portable electronics. The MGA-22103 linear power
amplifier is cost-effective and meets industry-standard
Spectral Emission Mask (SEM) tests operating at 3.3 V.
Covering a frequency range of 2.5 to 2.7 GHz, the power
amplifier includes fully integrated RF matching. These
features are integrated in a compact 3 mm by 3 mm by 1
mm package, allowing designers to achieve standards-
compliant performance in space-constrained designs.
Telekom Deutschland has upgraded its UMTS network in
the Rathmansdorf district of Windorf and Sindelsdorf to
HSPA+. This enables inhabitants of the district to access
internet via mobile at maximum download speeds up to 21
Mbps. The upgrade is part of the operator's strategy to offer
broadband services in German rural areas where currently
no broadband is available.
T-Mobile has announced that it is shutting down its Sidekick
online contacts and data storage service on May 31, in a
move to revamp the seminal device with Android software
later this year. The carrier said it will give customers several
options to transfer stored data before the cut-off date,
marking the official end of a particularly ill-fated stumbling
block. In the meantime, the company is planning to release
a new Android-based line of Sidekick phones later this
spring, rebuilding the device with 4G speeds, using HSPA-
plus technology. An early registration page indicates the
new Sidekick may be launching soon.
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Operators are looking at new revenue streams, which are
increasingly being driven by value added services, content
delivery, ranging from streaming video to other data
intensive content media. Mobile TV is readily available in
only about ten markets of the region, even where there are
no 3G networks currently operating; Mobile TV offerings are
available, for example, in Pakistan. So, as it appears, the
availability and growth of content can be encourages and
supported by deploying high speed broadband access
networks.
Mobile phone users in the SAMENA region are fond of
exploring the world of music the most. Mobile content has
gained high popularity including mobile TV and mobile
video. Content download such as music download is
popular in UAE as compared to SMS or voice-based IVR.
Recently, the UAE came top of the 13 markets surveyed with
regard to consuming mobile TV and video. This indicates
the growing demands in terms of services that operators
OPERATORS APPROACH TOWARDS
CUSTOMER DEMANDShave been offering. The survey, conducted by research
agency Vanson Bourne for Motorola Mobility’s 2010 Media
Engagement Barometer, looked at 13 markets: Australia,
China, France, Germany, Japan, Nordics, North America,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the UAE and the UK.
With the emerging broadband business case in the region,
areas that of greater importance such as broadband access
technologies, pricing, local content availability, regulatory
trends and support, operators achievements etc needs to
be highlighted. Broadband industry stake holders need to
share their experiences in a converged manner to give the
industry a boost in the region. This will help industry players
in understanding the emerging areas and trends thus
highlighting potential opportunities that will result in
increased revenues and profits. NGMN deployment has
been very positive for the operators; that indeed has
provided the room for the operators to develop and
strategize their goals efficiently. The main strengths for
driving NGMN growth includes:
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Innovations in existing services
Better market segmentation,
targeting young customers
Latest mobile devices
Text messaging is already growing and will continue to
grow, there are other options like laptop cards, games,
wallpapers, VOD, music downloads and multimedia
bundles; which still has a great potential to grow.
That approach would be more data oriented than the rest, a
big chunk of share would be text based though. Young users
are always enthusiastic and always willing to spend money
on costly data services.
Thanks to blackberry and i-phone for fostering the demand
generation. As we all know that blackberry has emerged as
anywhere, anytime access to incoming emails especially in
growing business needs. On the other hand i-phone is a
multi media player with its attractive HTML web browsing
experience on touch screen decked with captivating
applications that has certainly captured interests of young
generation which has consequently encouraged content
developers to test their creativity.
Open access and mobile operator
–content provider models
Social media and multi-media
applications
There are high chances of having a diversity of business
models in future. There are going to be more innovations in
technology and mobile devices which means there are
going to be a healthy collaboration between content
providers and the operators, new platforms and more
ground-breaking applications.
But it is expected that operators will continue to maintain a
balance of control over the value proposition which very
important for their credibility to capture more value rather
than being a medium for data traffic.
Interaction over the social networks like facebook, linkedIn
and Twitter via mobiles is getting more common while
other multi-media applications like games, mobile TV, e-
books, video downloads are probably the most promising
driver for growth.
Mr. Bocar A. BAPresident
SAMENA Telecommunication Council
Operators Approach Towards Customer Demands
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When Virgin Mobile launched commercial services in Qatar
last May, it sparked intense interest in Mobile Virtual
Network Operators (MVNOs) coming to the MENA region.
An MVNO is a company that provides mobile phone
services without having its own radio spectrum or physical
network; in essence, it resells other operator’s wireless
services under its own brand name. Virgin’s venture of
reselling Qtel services was by no means the region’s first
exposure to this business; a few MVNOs have preceded it,
mainly in Oman, where Renna and Friendi have been
providing prepaid mobile services since mid-2009. The
emergence of Virgin Mobile Qatar, however, marked a
significant industry development for two main reasons.
First, Virgin is no ordinary reseller. This is a popular global
brand and a proven MVNO player, having been the world’s
first MVNO in the UK and successfully expanding into
America, Asia, and Africa ever since. Second, and perhaps
more important to the MENA region, Virgin’s arrival
underscores a strategic move by Qtel to boost its number of
subscribers, especially among the youth group.
With mobile phone penetration sky-high and market
saturation a de-facto reality across the MENA region,
incumbent mobile operators face a landscape where
THE RISE OF SERVICE-BASED COMPETITION
subscriber growth has become an elusive target. In Qatar,
the situation is especially pronounced; mobile penetration
rate is approaching 300% and the country ranks as the most
penetrated in the region. That leaves incumbent operators
wondering what they can do to attract new customers. In
what is called multi-branding or outsourced growth
strategies, mobile operators increasingly are experimenting
with secondary brands to target specific niche segments,
such as the youth or ethnic minorities, leaving their main
brand to focus on the mass market in which they are already
established. These niche segments typically crave
customized value-propositions and have strong brand
affinities. However, they are usually poorly-served by the
standard offerings that prevail in the mass market. One
option for such multi-branding is to create a greenfield,
home-grown brand to pursue subscribers in target
segments. But market evidence shows that creating and
building new brands for niche segments is risky and the
pay-off uncertain. A second option is to follow Qtel’s
example and form hosting deals with selected MVNOs to
leverage their established brand equities in order to find
pockets of incremental subscriber growth in saturated
markets.
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Indeed, MVNOs represent a viable and strategically
significant way for mobile network operators (MNOs) to
grow their subscriber base. They can create value to hosting
MNOs on four major fronts. First, MVNOs promise to bring a
new revenue stream to MNOs, thanks to the network
capacity they lease on a wholesale basis. This positions
MNOs to use more efficiently their excess network capacity
and ultimately to garner a better return on their network
investment. Second, MVNOs enable host operators to
penetrate niche segments that they are otherwise
struggling to tap into, due to lack of established brand
equity or highly targeted offerings. Third, depending on the
nature of their business agreement with the host operator,
MVNOs can remove all or part of the market risk from
MNOs, including subscriber acquisition costs and bad debt,
which could make accessing niche segments through
MVNOs more profitable than from targeting them directly.
Fourth, MVNOs do not usually compete with MNOs
offerings, but complement them. This has not always been
the case. In Europe, for example, Telmore took significant
market share from TDC, its host operator, before the former
was ultimately absorbed by the latter. But, lessons learned
from both sides throughout the last decade likely will ensure
this does not happen again and the relationship between
MVNOs and host MNOs is complementary and value-
creating for both sides. In addition, MNOs also have
significant control over the MVNOs, through wholesale and
hosting agreements, and can intervene if there are signs
that the relationship is evolving unfavourably for them.
MVNOs also offer significant potential benefits to the
markets they serve. MVNOs typically arrive at the scene of a
new market with a targeted value proposition that builds on
significant research and deep understanding of the
customer behavior of the segments they are pursuing. By
doing so, they are able to promise and deliver services that
strongly match the needs of their target segments, whether
these needs are about greater service accessibility,
inexpensive pricing plans, international calling deals, or
innovative content and applications. Furthermore, MVNOs
typically have proved to be very customer friendly and laser
focused on improving the end-user experience. This focus
has the side benefit of raising the bar of customer service
and support in the entire market, and has pushed
incumbents to invest in improving their own customer
service capabilities. This service-based competition, which
emphasizes service innovation and customer service
excellence, is generally preferred by all stakeholders, as it is
unlike price-based competition, which could destroy
aggregate market value, or infrastructure-based
competition, which could lead to over-capacity.
On a worldwide basis, we have seen several brand-based
MVNO models succeed. Not all follow the same blueprint
for success, but rather are defined by their target segments.
One model centers on mass distribution and relies on
reaching new subscribers through discount mass retailers
such as Aldi, Carrefour, Migros, Tesco, and most recently
Wal-Mart in the US. Another successful model targets
smaller niche segments with stronger brand and lifestyle
affinities, the champion of this model being Virgin Mobile.
The recently launched Red Bull Mobile also falls under this
model. Closer to home, the MVNO wave in the MENA
region has only just begun. With mobile saturation an
established reality in many MENA markets, we expect more
MVNO-related strategic alliances in the future as operators
seek to sign on new subscribers. This is a positive evolution
that bodes well for the entire regional telecom scene, as
both operators and consumers alike stand to reap
numerous benefits.
Hilal Halaoui, Partner and
Adel Belcaid, Senior Associate
Booz & Company
The Rise of Service-based Competition
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THE INCREASING VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WORKS
As consumers become ever more reliant smart and savvy on
technology as a means to live, work and play, they
increasingly need technology to work well, and to work
when they need it to work. Every day, the tech user
community is becoming more dependent on digital devices,
not just as the foundation of their lifestyles as consumers,
but increasingly, as a key element to maintaining their
businesses and the productivity of their employees.
Additionally, since technology business dependency
proliferates around the globe, users’ personal needs (e.g.,
entertainment and home management) have become
interwoven with their business needs (e.g., their
communicat ions , operat iona l and emergency
requirements).
Usage of intelligent computing devices such as the personal
computer (PC) and smartphone has become part of the
fabric of our daily lives, both personally and professionally.
Meanwhile, with the seemingly daily improvement and
proliferation of new devices and new ways to interact with
technology, the digital ecosystem is rapidly evolving.
The market for improving the customer experience through
a more sophisticated technology interactions is growing for
communications service providers.
This is what reveals a comprehensive research program
conducted by AMOS (Accenture Mobility Operated
Services), a business group dedicated to help both mobile
operators and enterprises to easily and cost-effectively
develop and deploy new, revenue-generating mobile
services to their customers.
T h e m a r k e t f o r
improving the customer
experience through a more
sophisticated technology
interactions is growing for
communications service
providers
Te c h u s e r s n e e d
industrialized support across
a highly diverse and rapidly
changing technology base
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Consumer’s perspectives on digital
lifestyleThe AMOS research reveals a number of intriguing findings:
1. 64% of customers stop doing business with a
provider after a bad customer service experience.
2. Consumers are engaged in an increasingly wide range
of technology based activities [Figure 1].
3. Web-enabled mobile phone ownership has more
than tripled in two years, and mobile phones have
replaced computers as consumers’ most important
technology.
4. Customer loyalty is increasingly linked to three
Service driver/dimensions
n Quality: The recognition on the part of the service
provider that the consumer ’s individual
technology ecosystem is highly personal to them,
that it represents a considerable investment, and
that it contains highly personalized content that is
of importance.
n Flexibility: The service provider’s ability to provide
breadth of coverage embracing the problems that
customers are most likely to encounter.
n Simplicity: The ability to keep the user’s
technology “up and running” without great deals
of personal effort by the end user.
In the absence of collective standardization, consumers are
making individual decisions regarding the technologies
that deliver value for their needs. This trend is resulting in
highly differentiated, ever-evolving versions of the digital
“ecosystem,” with evolving permutations. In short, serving
the needs of the “digital ecosystem” really means
interacting effectively with thousands of different technical
configurations each of which is changing frequently.
The Increasing Value of Technology That Works
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Potential opportunity for an array
of providers
Challenges to improving and
monetizing technology services
In a global scenario with a wide array of different
technologies and provider, no particular type of technology
sector has a competitive advantage yet.
Companies able to capture the needs of consumers with a
common platform, excellent service and consistent
innovation will be the ones best positioned to achieve high
performance.
Topping the list of providers who fit that description are
service providers and OEMs (not counting retailers, who
already aggressively position these types of services at point
of sale). The companies listed above, share the same
motivations to improve customer’s experience, including:
Establishing a basis for which to upsell and cross-
sell;
Improving customer satisfaction;
Reducing customer turnover, or churn
There is no doubt that providing and monetizing new
technology services in a way that meets the expectations of
today’s growing market of intensive technology users is a
challenging goal. It involves dealing with complexities in
several areas: the marketplace environment, the breadth of
services required, highly demanding customer
expectations, and a lack of definition from customers
regarding who they expect to provide the service.
n
n
n
Given the findings of research, Operators must focus to
launch new premium technology services, according to the
following key considerations:
Addressing today’s digital ecosystem requires a
systems integration mindset.
For higher value, technology services should be
specialized for the customer. Providers need to
create “the right services" that meet customers’
expectations and establishes customer loyalty.
Client interactions with service should be easy,
centralized and without complexity.
Technology services should be capable of
becoming a brand differentiator by creating an
enhanced customer experience.
For today’s end users, technology is not a “nice to have,” but
a “must have” – a crucial element for managing their lives
and their businesses.
Accenture reveals that especially service providers have a
unique opportunity to step into the customer’s home
(digital home) as a means of pursuing profitable growth.
This means that now, more than ever, they need to rethink
their business models, internal organizations, processes
and systems for helping the consumer navigating the
technical complexities of the digital home. Part of the
answer to helping consumers maneuver through this
complexity lies in new ways to make devices and
networking easier to use and manage.
n
n
n
n
Accenture
The Increasing Value of Technology That Works
Satellite
31SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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Arianespace Soyuz to Launch 18
Globalstar Satellites by September
Abu Dhabi to Launch First Satellite
Next Month
Globalstar will launch its next six satellites in May, along with
two additional launches carrying six satellites in August and
September respectively. Arianespace, which is under
contract to launch 24 of Globalstar’s second-generation
satellites, will launch the missions on its Soyuz launch
vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Globalstar will integrate the 24 Arianespace-launched
satellites with the eight first-generation satellites that were
launched in 2007. The new satellites are designed to
support Globalstar's current lineup of voice, duplex and
simplex data products and services, including the
company's lineup of Spot retail consumer products. “We
continue to validate our on-orbit acceptance tests and
operating procedures for each of the new spacecraft
(launched in October). Once the testing phase is complete,
we will be able to confirm a more specific scheduled launch
date,” Globalstar President of Global Operations Tony
Navarra said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi’s YahSat will send two hybrid satellites into the
orbit during the year, which will serve the military as well as
civilian and commercial purposes. The first satellite Y1A is
scheduled to be launched as early as end March. Al Yahsat
Satellite Communications Company which is part of
Mubadala Development Company announced its plans last
year to launch two hybrid satellites designed to provide
communication facilities to commercial and governmental
users. The ambitious satellite communications programme
that would cost US$1.6 billion is set to open new avenues of
commercial opportunities in the country. EADS Astrium has
been awarded a contract to handle the space segment of
the two satellites, while Thales Alenia Space will manage the
ground segment.
Greece’s telecommunication authority EETT has launched a
public consultation to determine the licensing framework of
the provision of mobile satellite services in the 1980-2010
??z and 2170-2200 MHz bands by Inmarsat Ventures and
Solaris Mobile and the calculation of the corresponding
applicable fees. These two companies were selected in May
2009 by the European Commission to provide mobile
satellite services across Europe.
Satellite communications ground equipment provider
Comtech Telecommunications has said it hopes to leverage
its contract with mobile satellite services provider Thuraya
for L-band maritime satellite communications gear to enter
the market for higher-speed Ku-band maritime equipment.
Comtech Chief Executive Fred Kornberg said the company
already has in-house the components of a product line to
provide VSAT hardware for maritime satellite links, but has
hesitated to enter the market in the past because of the
tough competition. Thuraya and Comtech in March 2010
agreed to jointly develop a broadband transceiver for
maritime applications.
Greece Consults on Licensing
Mobile Satellite Services
Comtech Eyes Ku-band Hardware as
Growth Avenue
ROAMING
32
ROAMING NEWS
SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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Sprint Launches International 4G
RoamingSprint, has launched international 4G roaming plans in
Jamaica and Taiwan. Sprint customers can subscribe to this
service for US$ 14.99 a day when they travel to other
countries. "Customers traveling to Jamaica and Taiwan will
be able to access the Digicel and Global Mobile 4G networks
for mobile downloads video-chat capabilities and turbo-
charged Web browsing at 4G speeds.” The customers will
also be able to roam on these additional networks using
Sprint’s 3G/4G U600 USB 4G enabled mobile broadband
modem.
T-Mobile, AT&T Deadlock on 3G
Data Roaming DealAT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA have reached an impasse
in their negotiations for a 3G data roaming agreement,
prompting T-Mobile to reiterate its call for the FCC to
mandate data roaming. T-Mobile in November claimed
AT&T had rejected its offer to enter into a 3G data roaming
agreement. In a filing with the FCC, AT&T promptly
responded to the allegation, noting that "we will be more
than happy to amend our current roaming agreement to
include 3G roaming." But it seems T-Mobile and AT&T have
been unable to sort out the details in the intervening
months.
33SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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T e l c e l U n v e i l s L o w e r
Interconnection Fee Proposals
Orange, Deutsche Telekom to
Cooperate in M2M, WiFi Roaming
Mexico’s dominant mobile network operator Telcel has
proposed a raft of new, lower fees that its rivals pay for
connecting to its network. With a number of operators
having long complained to competition authorities about
the charges levied by Telcel, arguing that such fees have
made it more difficult for them to make a profit, the
proposals are in some way a response to such criticism.
Published in the country’s Official Gazette at the end of last
week, Telcel has noted that the new interconnection fees are
offered to all Mexico-based fixed line and mobile voice
providers, as well as those in the long-distance sector. Those
operators that do accept the new fee structure, it is
understood, will be required to adhere to the terms of the
new agreement for the next four years. The report also cites
an unnamed source from Telcel's legal department that
claimed eight cable companies and five fixed line providers
have already agreed to the new interconnection fees.
France Telecom-Orange and Deutsche Telekom have
agreed to explore potential areas of cooperation in several
fields, the first of which are an M2M cooperation agreement
and a joint project on improving Wi-Fi user experience
while roaming. The M2M agreement will initially cover
France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, and is aimed at
increasing service quality and standards for cross-border
M2M communications. The operators aim to include all of
their affiliated mobile network operators and to expand
globally through partnerships with others. It is intended to
be the foundation of a seamless network offering reliable
cross-border services anywhere in the world, facilitating the
development of e-energy, e-health, connected home and
connected car services. The Wi-Fi project will see the two
groups jointly explore solutions to boost customer
experience and roaming conditions on each others’ Wi-Fi
networks.
Vodafone Unveils New Data
Roaming Tariffs for Business Users
Russ ian Top Three Mobi le
Operators Fined For Expensive
Roaming
Vodafone Germany has announced new business tariff plans
called Professional Plus and Mobile Connect, developed
specifically for the overseas data communications needs of
business customers. These overseas tariffs cover two zones:
Europe and the Rest of the World. The Professional Plus
tariffs are targeted at business customers looking to use
their smartphones across Europe. The Professional Plus XXL
and Premium tariffs offer national voice and data flat-rates
plus 60 or 120 inclusive minutes for calls from Germany to
Europe, plus 60 or 120 inclusive minutes for use when in
Europe. The tariff cost between EUR 84.95 and EUR 109.95
per month with a 24-month contract. The Mobile Connect
tariffs are targeted at customers who want to add
international mobile data services to their existing mobile
contract. Mobile Connect Europe covers Germany and
Europe, with Mobile Connect World covering Germany and
the rest of the world.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service has fined Russia's top
three largest mobile operators (MTS, VimpelCom and
MegaFon) for excessive roaming rates. The total fine sum is
about 38.1 million ruble. MTS has been fined for 21,892
million rubles, VimpelCom — for 12,018 million rubles and
MegaFon for 4,194 million rubles. According to the RIAN,
"The Federal Antimonopoly Service started antimonopoly
proceedings for roaming services overpricing in early 2010
saying the companies abused their dominant position on
the market".
ROAMINGRoaming News
SAMENA Activities
34 SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Telecommunications Council has been the key
figure in the development and promotion of telecoms & ICT,
with special emphasis on the key enabler of ICT i.e.
broadband, and its growth across the region. The Council
since its inception has been playing a strategic role and has
come up with various initiatives to help bring the social and
economic benefits of telecoms & ICT to the public of this
region. The Broadband Summit was held under the
patronage of Dr. Mohammed Al-Wahaibi, Undersecretary
for Communications, Ministry of Transport and
Communications Oman, on March 7th in Oman and
discussed some of the significant issues linked to the future
of broadband in the emerging markets. Some of the
predominantly significant issues of growth, strategy,
spectrum management, and digital dividend, among others
were also discussed during the Summit. The event’s aim
was to shift the onus on the industry stakeholders to
progressively work towards understanding the dynamics of
today’s lifestyle and the demands by the consumer market
and what path does the industry needs to take further by
addressing vital issues such as the demand and supply
stimulations of broadband in the region, NGN challenge,
broadband growth and strategy, infrastructure sharing, and
above all the digital dividend and spectrum management.
The Summit was organized with support from Omantel,
Nawras, Accenture, Telcordia, and Teralight among others.
35SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Activities
Commenting on the sponsorship of the event, Senior
Manager Events and Sponsorship at Omantel, Hamdan Al
Harasi, said: "Omantel is always keen to support major
events hosted here in the Sultanate - and especially those so
closely related to our business. Keynote speakers from
around the region shared business insights, growth
strategies, broadband prospects, market experiences,
various other important topics. More than 130 participants
coming from a number of organizations in the SAMENA
region and other parts of the world attended the event.
CEOs and telecommunications experts from leading
telecommunication organizations were also present at the
occasion.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Wahaibi, in his opening speech said: “I
strongly believe that there is no perfect answer or a perfect
recipe for rollout of national broadband network that a
country can copy and apply successfully.” Further
emphasizing the importance of national broadband
infrastructure, he added that: “the debate around NBN
rollout is ongoing around the world, and while there are
many success stories from governments around the world, a
country should find its own formula based on its market
structure, social settings, economic indicators, and the
intensity and the geographic spread of its population.”
Mr. Thomas Wilson, CEO & Executive Managing Director of
SAMENA Telecommunications Council said at the occasion,
“Until a few years ago, broadband was something that every
one talked about but no one really, truly knew or
understood how seriously the subject was to be
approached. It all was new and, later, created tough
expectations” He added that Broadband is a subject area,
with its own semantic and operational characteristics, that
SAMENA is working hard to develop its program around.
The future has only begun to dawn in, for the strong
demand for broadband in its purest sense still is growing on
a non-linear basis and that it is allowing for the
materialization of new revenue streams.
Omantel's CEO, Dr. Amer Al-Rawas while sharing his
thought about “public private partnership options and way
forward” said: “operators' role is to build out nationwide
infrastructure and provide relevant broadband service to
the market.” Mr. Hadi Raad, Principal at Booz & Co.
discussed broadband growth strategies in light of Digitizing
MENA economies. While talking about key communication
trends that are gaining pace globally, said: “A new
perspective of convergence across industries is breaking
traditional silos allowing consumers to benefit from
digitization and Digital applications are driving
transformation in traditional sectors achieving significant
economic benefits”
Broadband Summit Oman 2011 Participants
Operators
Consultants
Vendors
Miscellaneous
Regulators
14%
6%
10%2%
68%
Broadband Summit 2011
36 SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Activities
SAMENA region broadband market needs a coordinated
effort by industry stakeholders to drive the broadband
market up to the next level. There are certain micro drivers of
the broadband industry mainly driven by regulators,
operators, vendors, and content providers and aggregators.
Regulators can speed up the play by means of drivers such
as license cost and conditions, technology-neutrality and
local loop unbundling. Operators can revise tariffs to a more
acceptable level thus allowing more segments to get into
the broadband arena. Vendors community needs to come
up with more resilient and cost effective platforms,
including access, core, backhaul and metro networks, as well
as CPE's. Mr. Stewart White, MESA Head of Telecoms at
KPMG shared his thoughts about “Policy & Regulatory
framework for NGN investment in the SAMENA Region”,
emphasized the need for need for constructive
engagement' to build trust between all stakeholders policy
makers, regulators and operators as well as customers.
Following the emerging trends in the broadband policies
and technologies alike, its continuously increasing
contribution to the telecoms & ICT landscape of SAMENA
region, SAMENA is committed to bring innovative and
telecommunications technologies and policies , and
congenial policies to this region. In our efforts to continue
facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing in the
region, our upcoming events are:
Beyond Connectivity 2011 25th 27th April 2011
The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhab
Mobile Broadband Summit 2011 24th & 25th May 2011
Serena Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan
Convergence to Qatar 2011 18th & 19thOctober 2011
Qatar
Broadband Summit 2011
37SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Activities
By and large, the telecoms landscape in SAMENA region
substantiate that digital technology provides one of the few
opportunities for telcos to obtain additional spectrum to
tape into the market more effectively. Digital technology
utilizes the spectrum more efficiently as compared to
analogue, thus after switchover there will be more spectrum
available for new services such as wireless broadband,
Mobile TV and High Definition Television (HDTV). The
inevitable evolution of broadband technology has lead to an
alarming increase in global convergence and hence been
extremely beneficial with respect to the growing content
industry in the region. This has; however, opened up the
doors to certain issues that include DRM, IP, and data
security issues among others. We need to take actions to
quieten down such threats and ensuring that security and
integrity of the content is taken as one of the major
concerns. Within the SAMENA region at large, the focus
toward ICT is no different; both companies and
governments are showing an increasingly willingness to
invest in and expand high speed connectivity in their
markets. This will result in a supportive arena for providing
content to the end users.
IT appears that the growing demand for wireless broadband
access will lead to greater investments in infrastructure by
operators. This trend will increase sunk costs by operators to
provide wireless broadband to a wider geographic area. The
costs for developing infrastructure for wireless broadband
technology is lower compared to traditional method of
delivering broadband. This trend will also help narrow the
digital divide in developing countries. In SAMENA region
there has been less attention towards universal services in
terms of broadband. For the purpose of development in
broadband Internet and ICT, governments and other stake
holders are expected to shift their roles due to the increased
focus on applications, content, e- Health, e- Learning and e-
Government, as well as establishing national broadband
networks. Therefore, the significance of public private
partnership and universal services obligations, in providing
broadband access has increased a lot. Q: How do you look at
What is the significance of public
private partnership in developing
national broadband networks (NBN)?
Interview of
Mr. Bocar A. BA,
President of SAMENA Telecommunications Council
for “Beyond Connectivity 2011”25th, 26th & 27th April 2011, The Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi
the Mergers & Acquisitions in the region, keeping in view
the evolving telecommunications landscape in the region?
A: M&A activities were shaking up the ranking order lately.
Last year we saw some very aggressive M&A activities in the
world. Some telcos were buying for rising technology while
others are buying for rising in the global ranking. Today,
carriers are in the quest for innovative business model that
helps them to triumph over the challenges posed by the
rising Opex and Capex. Adjusting their current business
model to optimize the Opex and Capex, carriers need to
understand the emerging areas and trends thus
highlighting potential opportunities that will result in
increased revenues and profits. However with M&A, the
potential markets can be effectively presented with the ICTs
which in turn, may substantially facilitate optimal utilization
of capital resources and would help to set up new, more
advanced passive infrastructure. This becomes more
important with the increasingly important role of mobile
content in revenues generations. Broadband is considered
to be a good driver for revenues. Fixed line operators are
already facing the issues of declining ARPU for their voice
services, and thus need to add value to the services they
offer.
With the emergence of digital dividend in the region, new
services will likely develop in the broadcasting and wireless
broadband domains. This will support access to high-speed
broadband services in less urbanized areas, speed up the
growth of mobile broadband by the population and pave
the way for mobile content. Consumers would be the main
beneficiaries, particularly in the remote areas, for they
would get better and cheaper access to wireless broadband
services, enhanced TV broadcasting services, and a
potentially wide range of new innovative wireless services,
like 3G mobile phones. With the digital dividend spectrum,
Internet users in the SAMENA region, particularly in the
remote areas, are expected to get more choice in the way
they connect to the Internet.
What is your view of the growing
demand for IPTV and other similar
services as result of the digital switch
over?
38 SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Activities
Do you agree that different amount of
spectrum be made available in
different areas, such as urban and less
urban areas, as result of digital
switchover?
What is the potential for Satellite
Broadband in the SAMENA region?
What choices do we have for wireless
broadband? How do you look at the
emerging wireless broadband access
technologies?
Apparently, the full potential of the digital dividend will not
be available until the complete switch-over. Although, the
ITU has set the end of the transition period in 2015, a
number of countries are looking to switch-over earlier. It will
not be easy to specify the spectrum which will be obtainable
for use of services such as broadband provisioning.
Likewise, factors such as topography, population density,
the demand level for services, the spectrum usage in
neighboring countries, will result in varying size and
location in the spectrum from country to another. Also, it is
up a country to determine the use of any digital dividend
spectrum based on the demand level, socio economic,
cultural and political considerations.
Broadband is swiftly becoming a necessity world over.
Enterprise, government, military and residential users
continue to demand for high-speed internet in areas where
traditional broadband services (DSL, Cable, FTTX, etc) are
not offered and this is where satellite broadband comes into
action. Satellite, no doubt, is one of the cost effective
backhaul alternative for cellular operations in areas where
traditional approaches such as fiber and copper cable are
not available. In the SAMENA region, where satellite
broadband is growing, the demand for applications such as
digital content is expected to further fuel the growth of
satellite broadband. Satellite broadband appears to
experience explosive growth over the next few years with
services such as video-on-demand, Internet TV, data, VoIP
and cellular backhaul.
A: Due to the burgeoning competition, SAMENA region is
very rich in terms of technologies capable of supporting
advanced applications but the lake of effective measures to
drive broadband, convergence and innovation has been
there. Majority of the markets now have the latest telecom
technologies that include EVDO, WiMAX, EDGE, FTTX, and
ADSL, among others. The market still has the potential to
attract investors, particularly in the broadband sector. What
needs to be done is to take effective measures to take the
broadband market to the next stage and to provide services
capable generating more revenues. This is important
because the service providers need to keep pace with the
technologies being adopted worldwide and in the region as
well. Though various technologies like EvDO and WiMAX
have already been adopted across the large markets in
South Asian but most of the cellular operators have still to
move to 3G. Demand for low tariffs and maximum coverage
has been constantly intensifying the competition among
the operators ultimately leading to reduced ARPU, and
APPU margins.
Today, it’s imperative to identify the key elements that make
it viable for a country to get involved in country-wide
broadband availability, and usage. To me it appears that
today there seems to be no stern factor as to why this region
is behind in broadband proliferation. This is because we
have some very good markets in terms of investments
potential that makes a good case for prospective investors
in the sphere of telecoms and ICT.
As we have seen, in the past few years, growth in mobile
teledensity has resulted in a number of merger &
acquisition in the region. It appears that the cellular
operators will face more challenges in terms of the growing
competition and in emerging technologies. You see, various
technologies like EVDO and WiMAX have already been
adopted on a larger scale to be at par with other regional
players. 4G technologies appear to be somewhat pricey in
terms of spectrum acquisitions, deployments and revenue
generation as the deployments and network upgrades. So,
subsidies are essential to facilitate the launch of 4G in the
region, particularly in the remote areas where the
infrastructure is limited and the cost of deployment is not
economically feasible due to the possibly low ROI. It
appears that that funds like universal services obligations
and government grants, and collaboration in the shape of
infrastructure sharing, local content developments, and
partnerships, can facilitate the launch of 4G.
A: In fact it depends, in which segment. I think satellite, has
been one of the cost effective backhaul alternative for
cellular operations in areas where traditional approaches
such as fiber, copper cable, and even microwave links are
not a viable option. Similarly, enterprise, government,
military and residential users alike continue to demand for
high-speed internet in areas where traditional
communication means are not available, and this is where
satellite communication comes into action.
What could be done to facilitate the
launch 4G in the region?
What prospects do you see for
satellite communication in the region?
Beyond Connectivity 2011
39SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02 Issue 03 Mar 2011
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SAMENA Activities
How do you look at the onset of
Digitization of the Economy and the
vital role of the Role of ICT?
What are your thoughts about the
Evolution of the technology and Next
Generation Networks?
A: ICT can be rightly considered as an vital basis for
providing firsthand and most recent information for
research organizations, industrial and academic
researchers, governmental and non governmental agencies
and for SME’s and large enterprises. In addition to that, ICT is
also providing an influential role of communication and has
thus become an exciting part of life. The swiftly growing ICT
sphere and the associated domains necessitate congenial
ICT policies and regulations to help bridge the digital divide
on a global scale.
A: Many markets in the SAMENA region are looking for a
future-proof technology supporting mobile and fixed
broadband access technologies such as FTTX and 4G/LTE.
While these technologies are emerging in the region, these
indeed allow the development of new revenue streams,
which are increasingly being driven by content delivery
ranging from streaming video to other data intensive value
added services through the Triple Play and Quad Play
services. However at the same time this also shifts the
pivotal balance towards the infrastructure owners, such as
the telecom operators and necessitate them to follow
through to constantly upgrade there network and improve
the quality of service.
Beyond Connectivity 2011
Subscribe!Welcome to SAMENA
monthly newsletter. This
newsletter incorporates
news, analysis, data and
research on
Telecommunications and
ICT industries in South
Asia, the Middle East and
North Africa.
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SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02
Issue 02February 2011
EXCLUSIVELY TO SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS
A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter
Exclusive Interview
The Future
isVAS
Abdul Aziz
Chief Executive Officer
Ufone
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SAMENA TRENDS Volume 02
Issue 03March 2011
EXCLUSIVELY TO SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS
A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter
What customers fancy from Operators’ Services
Exclusive Interview
Walid Irshaid
CEO
PTCL
President &
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SAMENA TRENDS Volume 01
Issue 06January 2011
EXCLUSIVELY TO SAMENA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL'S MEMBERS
A SAMENA Telecommunications Council Newsletter
Peter Kaliaropoulos
Chief Executive Officer
Batelco Group
Exclusive Interview
Operators’ Strategies / Advancements
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